Nava: Why the American has ‘something special in his tennis’
Emilio Nava is set to take on 10th seed Holger Rune on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros, and according to his cousin, Ernesto Escobedo, he has what it takes to make a deep run in the tournament. The 23-year-old American is currently ranked No. 122 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is climbing, as reported by the ATP Tour.
According to Escobedo, Nava’s competitive spirit and work ethic set him apart from other players. "By special I don’t mean by how he was hitting the ball, but just his work ethic on the court," Escobedo told the ATP Tour. "He competes very, very well and is just super eager. I think that is what makes someone special. Of course he had great shots at that age, but he also had the competitive drive and things that make a great player great." This sentiment was echoed by the ATP Tour, which has been following Nava’s journey to the spotlight.
Nava’s journey to the top has been a long and winding one. At the age of 13, he began practising with his cousin Escobedo, who was then 18 and on the verge of turning professional. Escobedo invited Nava to train with him at Match Point Academy in Santa Ana, California, and it was there that he first noticed Nava’s exceptional talent. As the ATP Tour reported, "There was one story that I’ll never forget," Escobedo said. "We had one of the best practices ever, it was a three, four-hour practice. He kept up like no other and ever since then I just felt like he had something special in his tennis, 100 per cent. And on top of that, it was a very competitive practice. I was 18, he was 13. To see that at a very young age was cool."
The ATP Tour noted that Nava’s parents are both Olympians – his mother, Xochitl, competed in tennis, while his father, Eduardo, ran track. Growing up around athletes has instilled in Nava the value of hard work, which has carried over to his tennis career. In 2020, near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Nava moved to Juan Carlos Ferrero’s academy in Spain, where he trained with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz. He kept his base there until the end of the 2023 season, and Escobedo believes that was "a very important part in his career", as stated by the ATP Tour.
"I think every player has their own journey," Escobedo said, as quoted by the ATP Tour. "Some players like to be home, some players like to go somewhere else and train, but just the commitment that he had over there for four or five years I think shows who he is as a person and a player. [He] is super committed to his tennis and to his craft, and seeing him do well at this stage of his career is awesome. Just seeing a cousin playing well and on the Tour giving their best, it’s awesome." The ATP Tour also reported that Nava said last year of the experience: "I knew I needed to make some kind of sacrifice and some kind of decision to see if I want to make it, to see if I’m able to make it."
Nava is currently training under Argentine coach Diego Cristin, and the partnership has been successful. Earlier this year, he won three consecutive ATP Challenger Tour events on clay, before making a fourth final in Tallahassee. As the ATP Tour reported, this success has given Nava plenty of confidence heading into his showdown with Rune. "He’s very explosive player, very aggressive player," Rune said, as quoted by the ATP Tour. "Yeah, we know each other a bit from juniors. Big serve, as I remember. He wants to go big on a lot of shots."
In conclusion, Emilio Nava’s journey to the spotlight is one of hard work and dedication. With his competitive spirit and exceptional talent, he has what it takes to make a deep run in the tournament. As the ATP Tour reported, Nava’s story is one to watch, and his upcoming match against Holger Rune is sure to be an exciting one. The ATP Tour has been following Nava’s journey and will continue to provide updates on his progress.
